Concrete culvert or bridge.



S- C. CALDWELL.

CONCRETE CULVERT 0R BRIDGE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-23, 19m.

1,212A52. Y Patented Jan.16,1917.

SMITH C. CALDWELL, 0F ROBERTS,

MONTANA.

CONCRETE CULVEBT OR BRIDGE.

Application filed August 23, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SMITH C. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roberts, in the county of Carbon and State of Montana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Culverts orBridges, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to concrete constructions and particularly toculverts or small bridges formed of concrete blocks, the term concreteas here used and as hereafter used being designed to include blocksformed of any initially plastic material.

The general object of this invention is to provide a structure of thecharacter indicated which is formed of a plurality of blocks having,when erected, interlocking engagement with each other so as to provide asolid and substantial construction not requiring mortar or other likematerial for filling the joints between the blocks and binding theblocks to each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of thiskind which by the use'of additional side blocks, bottom blocks and topblocks, may be used for relatively long culverts, bridges, or likeconstructions, in other words, a construction which is built out ofunits having interlocking engagement with each other.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter formed as described and having end pieces or dirt guardsinterlocking with the side blocks and securely locking all the parts inengagement with each other.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the completed culvert constructed inaccordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1; Fig.- 3 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1;Fig. 1 is an inside face view of one of the end pieces or dirt guards,the legs being broken away; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig.l; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the side blocks; Fig. 7 is aperspective view of one of the bottom blocks; and Fig. 8 is aperspective view of one of the auxiliary bottom blocks.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated one of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 1917.

Serial No. 116,512.

side blocks, this block being designated 10. The block has the form of arelatively thick slab formed at its ends with the ears 11 which aresomewhat less in depti than the depth of the block, the inner faces 12of the ears being inclined diver-gently with relation to each othertoward the outer face of the block. In otl er words, the ears definebetween them a dovetail recess.

The main bottom block 13 as illustrated in Fig. 7 also has the shape ofa rectangular slab having dovetail recesses 11 at its ends, the walls 15of these recesses being disposed in planes at right angles to the facesof the block. In addition to the main bottom block 13, I provide the endbottom blocks 16, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 8. Each has theform of one longitudinal half of the main bottom block 13, and each isprovided at its end with an ear 17 having an outer angularly disposedface 18.

The top block 19 has a form approximately the same as the bottom blockand the same width as the bottom block, but is longitudinally roundedand is provided at its end with a dovetail recess :20 whose oppositeside walls are perpendicular to the under faces of the ears on each sideof the dovetailed recess.

The dirt guards or end blocks 21 are formed as illustrated in Figs. 1and 5. Each is formed with a transversely extending upper portion anddownwardly extending legs 22, the transverse upper portion being thickerthan the legs so as to form inwardly projecting flange. 23. At thejunction of each leg with the transverse middle portion of the blockthere is form-ed a recess 2&, the end wall 25 of this recess beinginclined toward the inner and toward the middle of the block.

In Figs. 1,2, and 3 I have shown the culvert assembled. In assemblingthe culvert, the bottom block 13 is first laid with the auxiliarybottomblocks 16 along side of it. The side blocks are then disposed in avertical position with their curved'inside faces facing each other.There are two side blocks on each side of the culvert with their endsabutting. The abutting ears 11 of each pair of side blocks are insertedin the dovetailed recesses 141 and interlocked therewith, while theouter ear of each side block is engaged with the beveled ear 17 of theauxiliary end block 16. It will thus be seen that the four side blocksand the three bottom face of the blockblocks are interlocked with eachother. The

side blocks are further engaged with each other by means of the topblock 19, the upper abutting ears 11 of each pair of side blocks beinginserted in the dovetailed recess 20 of the upper block 19. The endblocks, or dirt guards, are then disposed in position, the blocks beingdisposed with their flanges 28 facing inward and abutting against thetop block 19 in which case the upper ends of the outer cars 11 willextend upward, engage in the recesses 24 and abut against the end walls25 of these recesses, the legs 22 fitting down outside the side blocks.The culvert is then completed and dirt or other material may be filledin between the dirt guards or end blocks. It will be seen that a culvertof this character has its parts all interlocked and that it isimpossible to disconnect the blocks of which the culvert is formedexcept by lifting upward the top block 19. When this is removed and theend blocks or dirt guards removed, it is possible to remove the sideblocks from the bottom blocks, but it is impossible to do this unlessthe top block is removed, and inasmuch as this block is subjected to theweight of the superposed earth, it is obvious that there is nolikelihood of the culvert structure becoming disassembled.

It will be noted that the top block 19 interlocks with the side blocksso as to resist any outward movement of the side blocks and that thisoutward movement is further resisted by the interlocking engagementbetween the bottom blocks and the side blocks. t will of course beobvious that the end blocks or dirt guards also act to hold the sideblocks in a vertical position and that the pressure of earth on thesedirt guards or end blocks cannot shift them from their interlockingengagement with the side blocks.

lVhile I have illustrated a relatively short section of culvert, formingin fact a complete unit, yet it is obvious that a relatively longculvert or bridge may be formed by as sembling a greater number ofunits. It is also obvious that the principle of my construction may beused for other structures than culverts or small bridges.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A culvert construction comprising side blocks formed at theirextremities with dovetailed recesses, the recesses being defined on eachside by cars having relatively divergent inner faces, the facesdiverging toward the outer face of the block, a main bottom block havingdovetailed recesses in 1ts ends, a top block having dovetailed recessesin its ends, the bottom and top block being adapted to engage with theabutting ears of the side blocks and interlock with said ears, auxiliarybottom blocks adapted to be disposed on each side of the main bottomblock and having ears engaging in the recesses of the side blocks andinterlocking therewith, and end blocks, each comprising a maintransversely extending portion formed upon its inner faces with atransversely extending flange, there being downwardly extending legs oneach side of said main portion, the face of the main portion oppositethe flange being formed at the junction of the legs with recessesadapted to receive the outer upper ears on the side blocks, the innerend walls of the recess being inclined to correspond to the inclinationof the inner faces of the ears on theside bloc rs, whereby to interlockthe end blocks with the side blocks.

2. A culvert construction comprising side blocks formed at theirextremities with dovetailed recesses, the recesses being defined on eachside by ears having relatively divergent inner faces, the facesdiverging toward the outer face of the block, a bottom block havingdovetailed recesses in its ends, and a top block having dovetailedrecesses in its ends, the bottom and top block being adapted to engagewith the abutting ears of the side blocks and interlock with said ears.

3. A culvert construction comprising side blocks formed at theirextremities with dovetailed recesses, the recesses being defined on eachside by ears having relatively divergent inner faces, the faces divergmgtoward the outer face of the block, a main bottom block havingdovetailed recesses in its ends, a top block having dovetailed recessesin its ends, the bottom and top block being adapted to engage with theabutting ears of the side blocks and interlock with said ears, andauxiliary bottom blocks adapted to be disposed on each side of the mainbottom block and having ears engaging in the recesses of the side blocksand interlocking therewith.

In testimony whereof l hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

SMITH C. CALDWELL. Witnesses H. G. Pnovrnsn, H. A. LUECK.

(Jepies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D C.

